2k worth of performance/handling mods?

[Brancusi]

First of all, I apologize if there's a thread that already has this info. I poked around with the search engine for an hour or so and couldn't seem to find it. Maybe I need remedial search class.

Basically, I'm trying to choose between the C14 and the FJR. Yes, I did see all the comparo threads, both here and on the Connie site. Definitely not interested in starting another.

From a little price shopping, it seems that I can get an FJR for about 2-3k less than a C14. I'm a reasonably skilled rider (own a track bike, done advanced rider classes, etc.). I will be doing a fair amount of 2-up riding and my wife does not mind a spirited pace -- she scraped pegs with me on the FZ1 no problem. To the extent it's relevant, I weigh about 160 and she runs a buck fifteen. So (at last?) my question:

If you had about 2k to spend on performance/handling mods on an FJR, what would you do? Suspension first? PC/exhaust/airbox?

Thanks in advance for your help -- even if it's just a link to the thread that already exists. Looks like a great forum with tons of useful info.

 

[sportsguy]

First off, I'd buy the FJR... oh, wait. I did!

I did test rides back to back on the Connie and FJR - the FJR came home due to the heat issue on the 2009 and older Connies.

As for spending the money, well, I'm betting you can make any mods you want and have change left over... which you should then portion out and mail to any of us who offer advice...

Welcome to the forum and Happy Holidays, too.

J/K about sending us the money - put it into gas and ride that puppy!

 

[happyPuppy]

2k would do all of that. I would do what I look at first on any bike. The suspension stock would be Ok for just yourself , but with a pillion adding a touch over 100lbs , that is where I would look first. Besides going fast in a straight line is not as fun as going fast in the twisties.

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

2k would do all of that. I would do what I look at first on any bike. The suspension stock would be Ok for just yourself , but with a pillion adding a touch over 100lbs , that is where I would look first. Besides going fast in a straight line is not as fun as going fast in the twisties.

With the informatin supplied: gunny.

 

[BIODSL]

Every year the forum has a group by with these guys https://www.gpsuspension.com/ I had them do my forks and got a sweet Ohlins rear shock and haven't regretted it a bit. I do have my bike packed up with all kinds of farkels, gear and extra fuel and having the suspension upgraded made all the difference for me.

 

[Brancusi]

OK, got a little better with the search function in the interim. Found several threads on the whole power commander/exhaust/airbox issue. Seems that the jury is out on the power increase side (at least until Pickle does his second dyno run without the over-oiled air filter), but that the PC can definitely solve abrupt throttle issues if you're having them. Looks like suspension would be the place to start. I've seen the GP suspension folks at track days -- they helped me set my track bike up.

Thanks for the help. I'll let you all know what I decide.

 

[madmike2]

Suspension!

OEM equipment, is okay for about 4-6 months of 2-up riding. With a skilled rider...about 4 weeks. A proper rear shock and fork springs, etc., will seriously upgrade the bike and its feedback.

After tuning your suspension you can shop for the best PC, etc., to smooth the engine response to your style of riding. Aftermarket slip-ons aren't going to gain you much increase in power, though they do sound nice. I get tired of the drone-sound (but I'l "older") so I'm back to OEM mufflers.

YMMV

 

[Patriot]

$2k...done...ya'll are kidding, right ???

<no really, you'd be good to go 'cause ya not me :blink: >

 

[Wicked Webby]

OK, got a little better with the search function in the interim. Found several threads on the whole power commander/exhaust/airbox issue. Seems that the jury is out on the power increase side (at least until Pickle does his second dyno run without the over-oiled air filter), but that the PC can definitely solve abrupt throttle issues if you're having them. Looks like suspension would be the place to start. I've seen the GP suspension folks at track days -- they helped me set my track bike up.
Thanks for the help. I'll let you all know what I decide.

Brancusi,

My performance mods (dished out here long before pickles was on this board) is the dyno proven setup.

https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?s...=102302&hl=

Pickles performance problems were either;

A. The motty tuner not doing everything it was suppose to be,

B. Tuned incorrectly,

C. Debris in his intake from the improperly made or defective KnN's coming apart on him,

D. Over oiled air filters

Webby

 

[UselessPickles]

Pickles performance problems were either;A. The motty tuner not doing everything it was suppose to be,

B. Tuned incorrectly,

C. Debris in his intake from the improperly made or defective KnN's coming apart on him,

D. Over oiled air filters

Webby

We already went over this before...

A: The Motty does exactly what it's supposed to do and does it pretty well. It maintains the AFR that you want at each throttle position and RPM combination. The only concern was a slight discrepency between the AFR readings on the Motty vs. the dyno's sniffer. I calibrated my O2 sensor just before going to the dyno. I don't know when the dyno's sniffer was last calibrated. The two readings were also coming from different sides of the exhaust system, which are not connected in the Holeshot header. I don't think there's much reason to doubt the accuracy of the Motty.

B: Anything in the low to mid 13's:1 AFR will get you very near peak performance. Fine tuning within that range won't make nearly enough of a difference to cause the losses I saw (I saw a nice graph once showing an example relationship between AFR, power, and temperature once; can't find it now). I was right in that range (according to both the Motty and the dyno), so fuel is not the reason for my loss of high RPM TQ.

C. There was no debris in the intake anywhere. The chunk of screen that had gone missing from the air filter seems to have vaporized in the combustion changer.

D. A possibility that I hope to test in the spring with another visit to the dyno. Since I've shown plenty of reasoning that fuel is not the cause for my loss, that only leaves ignition and airflow. I highly doubt ignition is my problem (nearly new Iridium plugs at the time of the dyno; running smooth). My filters were clearly over-oiled, which could cause reduced airflow at higher RPMs where airflow requirements are the highest.

E. Could also have something to do with the Holeshot header (the biggest difference between your setup and mine), how it interacts with the modded air box and/or the Remus Hexacones to change the airflow through the entire intake/engine/exhaust system.

Regardless of the loss of TQ in a certain RPM range, the gains in other areas more than make up for it as demonstrated by the significant improvements in acceleration times.

Back on topic...

Some other major items for consideration in your $2k farkle budget:

* Cruise control.

* Navigation; good for just riding and exploring without ever getting lost.

* Heated grips.

And, of course, there's plenty of other more minor and/or more personal improvements that you could make depending on your personal preferences (after-market seat, windshield, grips, etc.).

FWIW, my performance mods ate up about $2500 (full exhaust + Motty AFR tuner). I most likely would not have gone that far if I didn't have some extra money from the insurance payout on my previous totaled bike. Slip-on exhaust (keeping the stock header) and your choice of obtaining a custom remapped fuel injection system would be plenty enough to get a bit more power and a lot more smoothness. A lightly modified air box is practically free. Slip-ons and a Power Commander V + AutoTune (for a continuous custom tune) shouldn't be more than about $1500, or quite a bit cheaper if you go with one of the less expensive slip-on options.

 

[ahchiu]

I test rode the C-14 before I got the FJR. It was nice but for me the big thing that coud not be fixed is the side bags, they are angled up due to the pipes and they blocked my rear view directly behind me. as far as 2k for mods it's a good start. I would ride it stock for a while then decide what you need / want.

 

[Brancusi]

Thanks all -- Webby and Pickles in particular. Webby, I read the whole thread in your link, which took a while I doubt that I'll be opening up both sides of the air box right away, not sure I have those seamstress skills. Looks like suspension might be at the top of the list.

Never really thought of grip heaters as a performance mod. I guess cold palms could impair your use of the controls.

Doing some price shopping today, as I'll be in the neighborhood of both a kawi dealer and my local yamaha shop.

 

[03HiYoSilver]

Brancusi,

When you get the FJR, a down & dirty way to open up the Airbox a bit is this:

Just Cut Off the Snorkel going into the Airfilter Flush with the mount. This will allow more Unrestrictive Air into the Airbox and more efficiently utilize All the Filter Media instead of just 1/2 of it.

It works good for minimal amount of efforts.

Good Luck with you search!

 

[Fred W]

Well, if I had an extra $2k to spend on a brand new FJR here is what I would do:

I'd send the seat to Russell and get a dual custom seat made up in full leather. ~$700.

Then I'd get either a Starcom1 or Autocom intercom ~$500

Then I'd get a Gamin Zumo 550 GPS ~$550

all three of the above will make the ride more enjoyable for both you and your pillion,

far more so than a few tenths of a second off your 1/4 mile time will.

Oh yeah, that didn't add up to $2k, did it...

So then I'd take the last $250 and ride that sumbitch as far as ~ 100 gallons of 87 octane gas will take ya!

[edit] 4,000 miles +/- would make a great "break-in" trip.

Enjoy the ride...

 

[Steve Hunt]

I had a PC put on mine and it truely is an amazing difference in smoothness of power delivery. An increase of roughly 5 hp and 5 ft lbs. It idles so much better and cracking the throttle open mid corner no longer involves any anxiety. I like the stock mufflers, they make enough rubble to let you know you it's alive but not loud enough to annoy others. I can't see doing anything else to it performance wise.

I'm sure I'll do the suspension front and rear soon. The front seems to need attention the worst though.

I had to throw some money at the seat. I could last maybe 20 minutes on the stocker and went from B'ham to Indy fo rthe MotoGP on a Sargents with no problem....from the butt anyway.

Kinda of a shame you have to spend $2000 on a jap bike to make it right.

Steve

 

[SVTNate]

I must be missing something, but I don't realize I'm missing it.

I've got a new '09 with about 1,400 miles on it. I dialed in the OEM suspension, added HoleShot cans for the sound, a tinted OEM-sized screen for the look, fender eliminator for the look... honestly I haven't done any comfort or performance mods (slip-ons really don't count) and I'm happy as a bug in a rug.

At this point I see no need to upgrade the suspension, swap the seat, get a power commander or hack up my airbox, etc. I've got no complaints about handling or "smoothness" either.

Then again, I'm coming off a heavy/sloppy V Star 1300, so the bone stock FJR is leaps and bounds in terms of performance (power, handling, braking, you name it). I suppose if you're used to sharp handling sport bikes, the FJR feels like it needs improvement?

 

[RsvlFeej]

Rear shock

Custom seat for you and pillon

Any leftover coin can go in the piggybank to start saving for the front suspension

 

[Rogue]

I must be missing something, but I don't realize I'm missing it.
I've got a new '09 with about 1,400 miles on it. I dialed in the OEM suspension, added HoleShot cans for the sound, a tinted OEM-sized screen for the look, fender eliminator for the look... honestly I haven't done any comfort or performance mods (slip-ons really don't count) and I'm happy as a bug in a rug.

At this point I see no need to upgrade the suspension, swap the seat, get a power commander or hack up my airbox, etc. I've got no complaints about handling or "smoothness" either.

Then again, I'm coming off a heavy/sloppy V Star 1300, so the bone stock FJR is leaps and bounds in terms of performance (power, handling, braking, you name it). I suppose if you're used to sharp handling sport bikes, the FJR feels like it needs improvement?

The FJR is a great bike stock, BUT.....

1)The stock shock is good for 15-20k miles until its totally shot and isn't rebuild-able. Once you use an aftermarket shock you'll wonder how you ever put up with a stock shock on any bike.

2)The stock seat is okay for stock but if you start racking up over 700 miles a day you will want something better.

3)Some people can't get enough power.

 

[Brancusi]

Well, this is a really subjective topic. People who spend time at WOT (I do), tend to want more power. If you rarely hit the throttle that hard, probably no need to chase extra power. No problem -- just a different riding style. My track bike had razor-sharp handling and it kind of spoiled me. If you don't get a gut rush dropping into corners with a smooth, sharp counter steer, hitting your planned line down to the millimeter, and then rolling on the throttle to accelerate out, making mid-corner adjustments without needing a diaper, then suspension upgrades are probably a waste of money.

I've ridden with acquaintances who love to tour for a day, seeing the sights, smelling the smells, enjoying the feeling of being on a bike on the road. I can relate -- it makes for a really nice day. My personal riding buddies, the people I call and whisper "ride, ride, ride" to on Saturday morning, like to rip it up....and so do I. In some ways, I guess this thread is more for them. I have a 15k to spend. My wife likes to ride with me and found the FZ1 too uncomfortable for any kind of touring. I want either a new sport-touring bike capable of providing my adrenaline fix, or two used bikes, one for 2-up and one for me. I can probably get a '10 C14 out the door for 15k. I can probably get a new FJR OTD for 13k, leaving me 2k to help with the adrenaline factor.

My personal opinion is that, at this point, the C14 is a technically better bike than the FJR. Traction control and sophisticated engine management systems are the inevitable future of motorcycles. C14 has them, FJR doesn't. If they were equally priced, I'd buy the C14. Probably inviting wrath to say this on the FJR forum, but that's what I think. Nevertheless, if I could turn the FJR into a clearly superior handling bike at the same price, I'd buy it.

Might not make sense to everyone, but that's my logic.